State Awards City Of West Palm Beach $16.7 Million For More Resilient Infrastructure

West Palm Beach FL

20 April, 2021

6:40 PM

Description

From the City of West Palm Beach: April 19, 2021 The City of West Palm Beach has been awarded $16,764,610 by the State of Florida through the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's (DEO) Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program. The program, administered by DEO, allows local governments to develop large-scale infrastructure projects to make communities more resilient to future disasters. This very sizeable award to the City of West Palm Beach is to be used to build resilient seawalls, improve storm water quality, and develop living shorelines, pedestrian hardscaping and native landscaping. The City of West Palm Beach is one of only 15 municipalities in the State of Florida to receive part of a nearly $150 million tranche. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced nearly $150 million in awards to Florida communities on April 16, 2021. "My administration remains committed to providing the resources necessary for Florida communities to build back stronger and be more resilient to future storms," said Governor DeSantis in a press release. "This transformational mitigation funding will go a long way in helping Florida's communities invest in their futures through critical infrastructure improvements." "The $16.7 million awarded to the city by the State of Florida through the Department of Economic Opportunity's Rebuild Florida Mitigation General Infrastructure Program will greatly support the city's efforts to harden infrastructure and build resiliency," said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. "We thank Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Department of Economic Opportunity for acknowledging the city's critical need and allocating this very sizeable award." The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is the governor-designated state authority responsible for administering all U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) long-term recovery funds awarded to the state. Rebuild Florida uses federal funding for Florida's long-term recovery efforts from the devastating impacts of natural disasters. The funds are allocated to the state through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) program formed in response to the 2016 to 2017 presidentially declared disasters. This press release was produced by the City of West Palm Beach. The views expressed are the author's own.